Valve locking mechanism.



No. 880,056. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908. L. A. WERNER.

VALVE LOCKING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED OOT, 27,1906.

rns NORRIS Persks :0. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER A. WERNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WATER OVERFLOW PREVENTIVE 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VALVELOCKING-EMEGHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed October 27. 1906. Serial No. 340.793-

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LEsrER A. WERNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Locking Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to valve locking mechanism, and pertains particularly to that class in which one or more prescribed acts are re quired to be performed before a latch key is made available to lock the street door of a building when its caretaker departs therefrom. A look of this class forms the subject of my prior application, No. 259,659, in which the latch key is arranged to be trapped in an auxiliary key mechanism which must be inserted into locks on all the valves and water cocks of the building to turn ofl the same before the latch key is released to be available for closing the outside door. It frequently happens that the gas, water and other pipes are located on the ceiling or in some other partially inaccessible place, and it becomes desirable to provide special means by which the valve can be easily controlled in such cases, and the features of my valve locking mechanism made applicable thereto.

It is the object of the resent invention to provide a form of means y which this can be accomplished.

With this object in view the invention con sists in the features of construction hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view illustrating an embodiment of my invention applied to the gate valve of a pipe on a ceiling; Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively detail plan views of certain parts; 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail view of another part; Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the invention applied to a gate valve with a horizontal projecting stem; Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the key inserted in the auxiliary key mechanism; Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view showing one of the details of the invention slightly modified.

In the utilization of the valve locking mechanism of my above mentioned application, it is necessary to conform to the established conditions of the buildings where the installation is to be made. In ordinary buildings the pipes generally run along the ceilings and have either globe or gate valves which project either vertically downward or horizontally in a lateral direction. In order to have these valves closed over night, it is desirable to have them conveniently operable.

In carrying out the present invention I provide means by which the ordinary globe and gate valves such as are found in buildings may be made operable from a convenient point, and at the same time adapted to a locking mechanism.

Referring to the drawing in which like parts are designated by the same reference sign, 1 designates a pipe which is shown extending horizontally beneath a ceiling 2.

3 is an ordinary gate valve, although it is obvious that the particular style of valve is immaterial. This valve has a depending stem 4, carrying the usual hand wheel 5, by which the valve is turned. When it is desired to close the valve, the handle 5 is rotated through several turns until the gate is impelled into its seating relation.

These features thus far described form part of an ordinary pipe installation of a building.

6 designates a rod or extension, having a flanged collar 7, at one end. This collar is provided with holes 8 (see Fig. 3), and a circular plate 9, of corresponding diameter, and is also provided with holes 10, corresponding to the holes 8.

11 indicates a radial slot in the circular plate 9. a means of attaching the rod 6 to a valve handle, as shown in Fig. 1, the notched plate 9 being supported over the valve stem and bolted to the flanged collar 7 through the alined holes 8 and 10.

The rod or extension 6 is shown threaded at its lower end 12, and a sleeve 13 on such threaded portion serves the double purpose of guiding the rod and supporting the locking means hereinafter described. This sleeve is longitudinally splined on one side, as shown at 14, so as to be longitudinally but nonrotatably movable in the bearing 15, which has a screw 16 projecting into the spline for this purpose.

17 indicates a finger depending from a projection 13 on the sleeve 13, said finger having at its extremity a lug or keeper 18, which corresponds in all respects to the lug or keeper 11 of my previous valve locking This flanged collar and plate forms the valve stem has a longitudinal movement auxiliary key mechanism in the lock 19.

It is impossible to turn the key, however, until the finger 17 has been moved so that the lug 18 enters the lock 19. Accordingly the caretaker must first turn the hand wheel 21 a suflicient number of times to lower the sleeve 13 to theright distance. Thereafter the wheel must be angularly positioned so that notch 22 in its periphery falls beneath the finger 17. I/Vhen this is accomplished the finger can be moved so that its lug orkeeper enters the lock 19. When the finger 17 has thus been positioned, the auxiliary key mechanism must be manipulated to lock the same and removed to perform a similar operation 'on another valve of the building. After all the valves have been closed and locked, the latch key is withdrawable from the keeper and available to latch the door.

In some cases where globe valves are used,

in closing the valve. When this is the case the threaded end 12 should be of different pitch or threaded oppositely to that of the valve. Another construction is illustrated in Fig. 8 where the sleeve 13 is included between collars 23 on the stem in place of being threaded thereto. In Fig. 6 I have shown the rod or extension 6 connected to the valve stem 4 through intermediate bevel gears 24, and a universal coupling 25. This form of the invention is applicable to cases where the valve stem extends horizontally or in an inconvenient direction.

What I'claim is v 1. In combination with the usual valves of a piping installation, a rod adapted to be connected thereto in the axial direction of the valve stem, and means for initially insuring a predetermined rotation of said rod and subsequently looking it against rotation.

2. A means for insuring the closure of a valve comprising a rod adapted to be connected thereto in the axial direction of the valve stem, a lock, and an auxiliary key mechanism adapted to secure saidrod against movement after a predetermined angular rotation thereof.

3. A means for insuring the closure of a valve, comprising a rod having a flanged collar thereon, a slotted plate adapted to fit around the valve stem, means for connecting said collar and plate and clamping them upon the valve handle, and means to secure said rod against movement after a predetermined angular rotation thereof.

4. A means for insuring the closure of a valve, comprising a rod adapted to be connected thereto in the axial direction of the valve stem, a look, a finger formed to be re ceived in said lock, and means whereby said finger is positioned to be received in the look after a predetermined rotation of said rod.

5. A means for insuring the closure of a valve, comprising a rod adapted to be connected thereto in the axial direction of the valve stem, a lock, means moved by said rod and adapted to be received in said lock, and an auxiliary key mechanism adapted to permit the removal of said means from the lock.

6. A means for insuring the closure of a valve, comprising a rod adapted to be con nected thereto in the axial direction of the valve stem, a sleeve surrounding said rod and arranged to move vertically when the rod is turned, a finger depending from said sleeve, a lock formed to receive said finger, and an auxiliary key mechanism.

7. A means for insuring the closure of a valve, comprising a rod adapted to be eonnected thereto, the lower end of said rod being threaded, a sleeve on the threaded part of said rod, means for preventing rotative movement of said sleeve, a finger depending from said sleeve, a lock to receive said finger, and a notched wheel on said rod acting to lock the finger against entering the lock until the rod has been turned to a predetermined position.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signa ture, .in the presence of two witnesses.

LESTER A. WERNER.

Witnesses:

WALDo M. CHAPIN, MAY BIRD. 

